[Gnostic Dog]

This is really a question for dog walkers who have other people's dogs in their care, but all comers welcome!

You're at a dog park with four dogs and one of them bites another owner's dog. What would you do?

 

[seashoreduck]

This is really a question for dog walkers who have other people's dogs in their care, but all comers welcome!

You're at a dog park with four dogs and one of them bites another owner's dog. What would you do?

My local dog park allows only 3 dogs per handler 18+ only.

But even with 2 dogs this could still happen.

Break up the fight first, then walk the dogs back home once calmed, keeping the offending dog as far away as possible.

Chat with the owner and let them know that the dog may be facing any punishments. In my dog park this is a 6th month ban.

 

[Rain]

That wouldn't happen with me. I occasionally walk friends and neighbors dogs but would never take them to an off leash dog park. There's way to much that can go wrong, I'm not likely to have the dogs under verbal control, and I do not know them well enough to be able to anticipate what dogs they may not mix well with. I stick to on leash walks in the neighborhood the dogs live in.

In your hypothetical situation I'd give the other owner my contact info and be willing to pay the vet bills and take full responsibility. It might be another persons dog but I'm the one that brought the dog to the dog park and I'm the one who should have been in control of the dog. The fault lies with me, not the dog's owner and not the dog.

 

[annageckos]

I don't walk other peoples dogs so this is just my feelings. I wouldn't take others dogs to a dog park, too many things can happen too quickly. I wouldn't take four dogs by myself, there is no way I could keep an eye on all of them all the time. But assuming I did these things I'd take responsibility for the accident. It would have been me who had responsibility of the dogs at that time.

 

[BusterBCsMum]

We don't do dog parks here thank the Lord but if we did I wouldn't even attempt that. I walk up to 6 at a time we go places where dogs are allowed, if we bump into another dog and if I have enough time I'll call them all in and leash up. If I don't have time I'll do what I can.

If it did happen, heaven forbid, I would apologise profusely and make sure the dog is okay. I'd offer to cover any vet costs via my work insurance to help out if need be.

 

[Gnostic Dog]

I agree that taking four dogs who are likely not trained or at least, not well-trained to a dog park is not a smart idea. I was curious because a local dog walking company has "play-dates" at local dog parks and honestly a think it is a bad idea and a huge liability for a dog walker in their employ.

 

[annageckos]

I agree that taking four dogs who are likely not trained or at least, not well-trained to a dog park is not a smart idea. I was curious because a local dog walking company has "play-dates" at local dog parks and honestly a think it is a bad idea and a huge liability for a dog walker in their employ.

That sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Sounds like using someone's fenced in backyard would be the smarter thing to do. I really hope no one gets hurt or worse.

 

[BusterBCsMum]

I agree that taking four dogs who are likely not trained or at least, not well-trained to a dog park is not a smart idea. I was curious because a local dog walking company has "play-dates" at local dog parks and honestly a think it is a bad idea and a huge liability for a dog walker in their employ.

Huge liability. I have doggie play dates but out in the countryside, in country parks and stuff like that. All the dogs owners are there and it's only dogs I know well that are allowed to come. All must be totally friendly and sociable, must have excellent recall etc. Definitely not the place for people wanting to socialise their dog, it's for already socialised dogs.

I'm so glad we don't have dog parks here in the UK. I can only imagine the trouble they'd cause here